Between the Heart and Lungs
by tonystarktheautobot
Summary: Summoners are not supposed to care for aeons. Aeons are tools to be used, to serve the will of the Summoner. So say the teachings of Yevon. Yuna's first step on the path of heresy is the first time she thinks of an aeon as a person, and lets them in much deeper than any summoner is supposed to allow. Yuna/Aeons, soul ecstasy/sex, exploration of Spiran culture and society.
1. Valefor

They said there was a summoner come to the village, and Yuna had never heard the words said with such disdain.

Summoners were great people, deserving of respect, people like her Father who journeyed to save Spira. So it was a curiosity that that the people of Besaid disliked this summoner, this stranger traveling from afar to pray at their temple. They were always treated with the greatest kindness, allowed to stay in the temple, given the greatest comforts.

But Yuna watched as the summoner and her two guardians entered the village, and already she could see this summoner would not have that treatment.

The village elder greeted her with the prayer, but his look and tone held none of the awe and devotion it usually showed to summoners. If the summoner realized, she seemed unbothered. Her smile was gentle, and even, her look betraying no unease. She returned the prayer, and the two exchanged a few words before the elder stepped aside, allowing the summoner into the village. No one approached her; no one moved towards her as she made her way across the plaza. Yuna, transfixed by the oddity, had made half a step towards her without realizing when a hand on her shoulder stayed her.

"Yuna, don't!" Spinning, the girl turned to face Lulu. A good head taller than her, the younger had to strain to look up to her friend. "It would not do to speak to her."

"But, why?" The girl allowed herself to be guided away, back to the hut. "She is a summoner is she not?"

"Yes… but…" Sighing, Lulu stepped in and pulled the curtain closed, giving them some privacy. Chappu and Wakka were out, undoubtedly playing Blitzball on the beach, and Kimarhi was likely in the woods somewhere. "Not all summoners are of equal standing." Yuna's gaze fell; her eyes darkened. A hand gently lifted her chin. "Yuna, your father was a great man no matter what anyone says. I did not mean to… bring back bad memories."

Shaking her head, the girl grinned, wiping at her eyes a little. "No, it's fine, I'm okay."

Lulu smiled, dropping her hand. "Just – stay away from the summoner, won't you?" When it was clear Yuna was still confused, the elder sighed. "Not all summoners have the best intentions. Perhaps they begin that way, but in becoming summoners, they become distracted by the power it affords them."

"What power?"

"The aeons." Lulu explained, sitting on the bed. "Bonding with an aeon is said to be a – profound experience, and it obviously gives the summoner great power. Some summoners become so entranced by this, they forget the fight against Sin, and care only to obtain more aeons, and revel in the power."

Yuna for silent for a moment. "I don't suppose that's so bad, now… since Sin is gone? Maybe this summoner is just preparing for the future, in case it comes back. And besides, if the aeons accept them, they must be good, right?"

Lulu gave a fond smile. "Just… be wary. She has a bad reputation amongst the temples. I don't want you being dragged into anything scandalous."

Yuna smiled and gave a soft promise, keeping her own thoughts to herself. She loved Lulu like a sister but the girl was over-protective sometimes. Surely there was nothing so dangerous about the mysterious stranger.

Emboldened by the strange circumstances surrounding her arrival, Yuna became determined to speak to the summoner. There was a part of her heart that was almost, quite sure she would follow that same path… only, she had yet to say it aloud. Inside she had accepted the duty with grace, but it was telling others that was placing a strain upon her. Wakka, Lulu, Chappu, Kimahri… how could she tell them?

And for herself, she did fear, a little. The idea of such a journey was daunting, and as for what was to come after… but how could she not do all she could for Spira? For her friends, for Besaid? If her father could do it, then so could she. _If Sin ever comes back, I shall be ready to face it_! Yuna was determined to make it so.

But in the meantime, she simply wanted to speak to the odd summoner who had everyone walking on eggshells. Which was how she found herself hovering outside the woman's campfire, near the edge of the village, towards the temple. She stood there for a few minutes, arguing with herself and trying to calm the pounding of her heart, when she heard a gentle chuckle and saw the summoner glance up. A hand beckoned her forward.

"Come, little one," The woman smiled, warm and welcoming. "Do not be afraid."

Timidly, the girl stepped forward, walking barefoot through the grass towards the woman. She was tall, broad shouldered and full bodied, with dark skin and her hair pulled up into rolls on either side of her head. "My name is Timere, little one," The woman began when Yuna came to stand by the fire. "And these are my guardians, Hosen," She gestured first to an older man dressed like a crusader, "and Josen," then a younger man with a scar running along his nose. He smiled when Yuna looked to him, and she shyly smiled back, hands clasped tightly in front of her as a blush rushed to her face.

She bowed, the heat rushing to her ears as she tried to speak. "I – I am Yuna, of Besaid. I – um – I am sorry for –"

"Yuna? Daughter of Braska?" The summoner's eyes widened, and her smile became a grin. "It is an honor, Lady Yuna." That only increased the girl's blush. To be called a lady, by a grown woman who was a summoner already, and she was not even an apprentice? "You need not be sorry. I am happy to have you here."

"I, um, thank you." She stammered. "I just – I was wondering if I could ask you about being a summoner."

"Ask away." Timere replied easily. At the simple acceptance, Yuna balked, for she was suddenly unsure how to ask her questions, or if it was even appropriate to ask. But the look on the woman's face was so kind and open, she managed to find her courage.

"What is it like?" The little girl asked quickly and quietly, as if afraid she would be overheard. "Summoning, I mean."

"Mhm." The woman's grin stretched into a smirk. "It is a wonderful feeling, almost – impossible to describe. When you join with an aeon, it is as if you have become complete, when you never realized you had ever been incomplete. And summoning that aeon…" A soft sigh escaped her mouth. "It is truly bliss. A greater happiness than I have ever known." Her soft eyes drifted to Yuna. "I can see that the path of the summoner is before you. If you chose to take it, know this: the temples will try and tell you what summoning must be. How it should feel, what you should allow it to be." Leaning forward, her fiery stern eyes held Yuna's, and the girl could not look away if she wanted to. "Don't let them. Whatever you want summoning to be, let it be that. Let it be what it is, not what they demand it should be, austere and cold and selfless." The woman leaned away, back towards the fire.

"They say you are a bad summoner." Yuna managed to whisper, a nervous admission, almost an appeal to give less credence to her powerful words. "They say you are an affront to Yevon."

The woman glanced away, and shrugged. "Perhaps I am." She admitted. "The aeons do not seem to mind."

* * *

><p>Years passed, and the words of the Summoner Timere faded into the depths of her mind, drowned out by the dry preachings of monks and maesters. Yuna began her training when she was twelve years old, took her oaths as an apprentice summoner at thirteen, and began to learn the ways of summoning that very day.<p>

The aeons serve the summoner, the summoner serves the people, the people serve Yevon. That was the way of things in Spira. Only through strict adherence to this structure, through prayer and atonement, could Spira repent and be free of Sin once and for all. Thus the summoner was guided through strict teachings how to interact with the aeons, how to control them, what to allow them to do and see. Joining with an aeon was allowing the creature into the heart and mind, bonding two spirits which once done can never be undone. Such a thing had to be done correctly or it could have grave consequences.

Yuna kept all this in mind as she ascended the stairs to the Chamber of the Fayth. Heart pounding in her chest, she whispered a short prayer under her breath, before leaving her guardians behind, and entering the hall. What awaited her she did not know. None of the teachings told of what was in the Chamber, and they gave only the most technical explanations of what would happen.

Slowly, carefully, she edged forward, coming to kneel before the stone. This she knew she would find, the stone which held the spirit of the fayth. But seeing it was much different from studying it. To her horror and amazement, she could see where the human body began and ended, where it melded with the stone, and at places where it became bestial, almost like a fiend… an aeon. A person, submitting to the stone, submitting to the will of Yevon, the will of the Summoner… for all eternity. It was more than she could comprehend.

Swallowing dryly, Yuna pulled herself together, holding tightly to her will, remembering all she had been taught of control, of drive… and she knelt in prayer, and opened her mind to the fayth. She kept up all the appropriate borders, the walls of propriety, allowing only the shallowest gaze into her mind. The aeon could not be allowed to overcome her, or danger might follow. She had to be in control.

And so she prayed, once kneeling, then sitting up to perform the prayer, then kneeling again. So she continued, for some time, awaiting a sign, any sign, that her prayers were heard…

Time began to blur and blend… an ache started in her lower back, in her knees as they pressed hard into the cold ground. Her thoughts wavered, her control shaking. This was harder than she could've imagined. Biting her lip, Yuna shut her eyes, ignoring the sweat building on her brow, uttering her prayers incessantly… gripping the teachings like a lifeline, hoping beyond hope that the aeons would hear her…

And it was then, in that moment, that a whisper from the past came to her.

_When you join with an aeon, it is as if you have become complete, when you never realized you had ever been incomplete. _

The thought jolted her out of her discomfort for a moment, making her wonder where in the world it had come from. It felt so familiar, yet so out of place, as if her past had been jumbled and tossed about. What was it from? It was on the tip of her tongue…

_Perhaps I am. … The aeons do not seem to mind._

Yes, this… this was familiar to her exhausted mind but she had not the energy to figure it out. Yet in her attempts her control had wavered, her enduring resolve fluttering, her barriers slowly slipping down. And in that moment, something touched her mind.

"Ah!" Leaping to her feet, Yuna gasped, shocked at the alien feeling the likes of she'd never known. For a moment sheer terror overtook her, instinct driving her to step back. What had happened?

When she'd calmed enough to think rationally, it came to her – the aeon. The aeon had touched her mind. At that she only became more panicked, thinking that in her momentary fear she'd chased the creature away, ruined her chances… throwing herself prostate on the ground immediately, Yuna returned to her prayers, hoping beyond hope that she had not lost her chance.

But exhaustion and emotion had worn her down, and her defenses were not as the monks had told her they should be. Her mind was open, her heart laid bare, all her thoughts and feelings clear as the eyes on her face. The monks had always said such things were dangerous. Aeons were tools, not beings – they were not meant to be liked, or to be known, and as such they should not know the summoner. Only Yevon should know the hearts of his worshippers.

Yuna's heart was open… and the heart which touched hers was laid bare as well.

The next time the presence touched her Yuna couldn't help but gasp. It was – there was nothing else like it. Suddenly, she was not alone in her own mind. On the edges of her consciousness, skirting around her thoughts was another presence, another being with thoughts of its own. She… this creature was a she. _Aeons are not beings aeons do not have genders. _Somehow, the voices of the monks were easily swept away, as the aeon's mind slipped further into hers.

It was slow, and gentle, at first, and then – all at once, like a river tumbling over a waterfall. Yuna gasped, head thrown back, as giddiness rushed through her mind and set her veins alight. Two minds became one, two hearts beat together, and the aeon known as Valefor stretched itself out inside Yuna's body.

Heat flooded her, head to toe, as the spirit skipped about her mind, looking through all her years like it was flipping pages in a book. She was overwhelmed by the feelings, by the memories the aeon was pulling up that she could not even recall, the thoughts it was finding she could not even remember. _You've lost control! _ Panic threatened to take her over, but it could not take a foothold over pleasure.

Yes, this was pleasure. The heat rolling through her in waves was growing, and growing. Her skin tingled to the touch. Fallen against the barrier above the stone, Yuna writhed, gasping for breath. She felt so very hot, sweat pouring down her, limbs grasping for some invisible lover she couldn't feel. Between her thighs felt so – so – strange and alive, and wonderful, and so terrible because it kept growing and threatening to take her over, stealing her clarity away.

The aeon did not seem to realize her anxiety, for it was overjoyed. The more it saw of Yuna's spirit, the happier it became, until it truly became One with her, and allowed her to see into itself. Into herself. Valefor, the aeon of the skies, answered Yuna's prayers, accepting her as a summoner and the girl barely bit back a scream.

She writhed, held in place by the creature's spiritual embrace, having lost all control over the encounter. Valefor's power and consciousness seared her, soaring through her like a bird on the wind. Heat exploded at the apex of her thighs and she could only gasp and arch her back, fingers twitching and breasts heaving with her lungs. Valefor seemed satisfied, sending a few little electric jolts racing down her limbs, her spine, a soft gentle run of what almost felt like feathers caressing her breasts. Valefor was pleased, to have a summoner so kind hearted, so open, … yet how tragic, that she was so young.

When Yuna could feel her limbs again, she barely managed to crawl to the hallway, haul herself up the wall, and stand. Her strength gave way soon enough; she'd barely managed to make it out of the Chamber before collapsing, Kimarhi's strong arms catching her. She hoped beyond hoped he didn't realize anything was amiss.

She was a summoner… oh yes, she was. And she had made a terrible mistake.


	2. Ifrit

_Aeons serve the summoners, summoners serve the people, and the people serve Yevon._

That was the maxim every faithful of the temple lived by, reiterated in so many of Yevon's teachings. The aeons were first and foremost weapons and tools to be utilized by the summoners to protect Spira's people. They were not friends, they were not allies, they were subjects to the wills of the summoners, as swords served the will of their swordsman, not as unique beings but as thoughtless objects.

An aeon was not a person with a name, it was an object, to be summoned and used. It was what she had been taught to believe from her youngest years, yet now… the thought had a nasty taste rising up the back of Yuna's throat.

Or, perhaps that was simply the result of the day's tragedies. Kilika had felt Sin's wrath, and her people had suffered the price. Yuna had performed her first sending. In practice, the dance had become almost clinical to her, as she had daily performed the routine until it was memorized. But now… now she did not think she would ever think of it the same way again.

Performing the sending… actually performing it, not simply practicing the moves… it was transcendent in a way no monk had ever explained. The feeling was exultant, almost heady, and the thought that it felt good made Yuna feel more guilty that she could say. The Sending was one of the most difficult parts of being a summoner, one of their worst duties. It should not be… pleasant.

Yet, it was. She could feel the energy of the pyreflies, the thread of life inside her reaching out to the Farplane and opening a door. As they flitted about on the wind she could almost hear them singing, _thank you, thank you…_

Shaking her head, Yuna dismissed the thoughts and ascended the stairs to the Chamber of the Fayth.

Only a short time ago, Yuna had received her first aeon. That day she had summoned it for the people of Besaid, a mere presentation of her powers for the people she loved. Seeing the Aeon – seeing Valefor for the first time… it stole her breath away. To summon, Yuna had reached within herself to the deepest and darkest places, searching for light, and when it was found tugging upon it until it grew and grew and flowed out of her, into the sky, soaring ever upwards…

When Valefor had landed before her, looming majestically over them all, Yuna had almost fainted then and there. To think this magnificent creature was bonded to her, served her? Even then she could feel its mind within her own, it's soul sealed to hers. Valefor was a windy creature, a thing of flight and fancy, and within her Yuna felt its power budding like a maelstrom, warm and friendly yet fierce. Looking into its eyes… she didn't feel afraid. It was like when she'd first met Kimahri. She'd looked into the eyes of a stranger all others feared and found kinship.

Now, she was to do it again… and this time, she must do it right. She must abide by the teachings, and keep her own heart at bay. The relationship between Aeon and Summoner must be no more than servant and master, as Yevon bid. Yuna bit her lip as she hesitated in the hall, before the main chamber.

"Aeons serve the summoner…" She muttered under her breath, almost trying to convince herself. Somehow, she couldn't believe that such wonderful creatures were ever meant to serve _her_.

Sighing, the girl finally stepped into the room. It was warm, blisteringly so, but not uncomfortable, somehow. She felt… protected, as if she had stepped into someone's embrace. Kneeling, Yuna set her hands before her, performed the prayer, and bowed. So the ritual began.

At least, it should have. And yet… images flashed through her mind, thoughts and feelings assailing her. Bodies floating in the water, timber tore and flung all around, children crying, homes decimated, blood turning the sea a sickly red…

Sin, looming over them all, before disappearing back into the sea.

A sound broke the silence and it took Yuna a moment to realize it came from her: a sob, wrenched from her throat, and she threw her hand over her mouth at the realization. This was a place of worship, not of – of melodrama. She was a summoner. Death and facing it was a part of her duties. As Lulu had said, "No more tears." She must not cry.

Yet… Lulu was not here. No one was here. For the first time since Kilika was attacked, Yuna was alone, and free to let down the barriers around her heart. She could mourn freely, let loose the pain that wracked her heart, the memories and the terror of Sin's attack…

But this was the Aeon's sanctum. Here more than any other place, she was supposed to guard her heart, to keep her thoughts and feelings secret! She – She…

She began to cry.

Bitter tears poured down her face, little hiccups escaping her from time to time. Her hands covered her eyes as she cried, knelt over as if she were in prayer. It was sacrilegious and foolish, but she could not stop. The longer she indulged, the harder she cried, until she was shaking with it.

'_Why do you weep, little one?_'

A shocked gasp tore out of her throat. Head flying up, Yuna spun round, dizzy from the sudden motions. Her heart pounded in her chest. After a moment's hesitation, she weakly replied, "My Lord Aeon? F – Forgive me, I – I,"

'_You weep for the dead, for the living and their suffering, do you not?_'

Falling silent again, Yuna slowly lowered her head. "Yes."

At her answer, the air before her shifted. Glittered and glowed, burned hot, and through the misty haze something appeared. It wasn't human, but it wasn't quite a beast either, haloed with red light. Yuna squinted in the dark suddenly made bright, almost afraid to look upon it.

When she did, she saw a spirit, the spirit of the Aeon itself, both human and beast. Here and there, she could see both as one, one form overcoming the other, then back again. For a moment, he was a mortal man, with bright red eyes, and in the next he was a red-furred beast, with curved horns and sharp fangs. At all times, he was truly both.

'_It has been so very long that a summoner has offered true emotion to me_.' The deep gravelly voice shook the room with its power, and sent Yuna's stomach into her throat.

"I – I meant no disrespect…"

She gasped lightly when a hand, a human hand, a clawed hand tinged with fur, brushed lightly over her cheek. It wasn't quite solid, and so it passed a little into her skin, and it felt as if she were being bathed with warm water.

'_You fear me_.' The aeon continued. '_Yevon teaches that I am a servant to _your_ will, bound to you by duty, yet you fear me_.'

Yuna wasn't sure what to say. Was the Aeon angry? Was it going to turn away from her? Terrified at the thought of failing in her duty, she reached out to him. "Please – all I want is to protect Spira, I – I will do anything!"

The hand lingered a moment longer, then fell. '_Fear not, little one. I will not abandon you. You who have reminded me of how warm the living can be. The summoners who pray here… they are always so cold. So distant to me. Masters to my slave. But you… you are like those of old. Bright and alive with fire. I will serve you gladly._'

His words made her more uncomfortable. She did not want to have a – a slave! Yet, wasn't that basically what Yevon meant by the teachings? It… Yevon couldn't possibly endorse such a thing…

'_Yuna…_' Her name, spoken by the rumbling voice, sent strange shivers through her. Voice caught in her throat, Yuna looked up to him, and his eyes burning like embers in a dying fire caught hers. '_Yuna, will you lay with me? Will you enact the rites with me, as the summoners of old?_'

Lay with? The Rites? Confused and unsure of what was being asked of her, Yuna almost said no. But… this was an Aeon, of Yevon. She trusted this creature with her life. And as Ifrit extended his hand to her, she couldn't help but also want to take his hand… to want to know him better. It was against everything she'd ever been taught, but she _wanted_ it.

A trembling hand took his, and she let herself be gently pulled into the center of the room, overtop the barrier guarding the stone of the Aeon. At Ifrit's gentle push, she was laid back across the barrier. Heart hammering, sweat already pouring down her, Yuna laid there stiff and nervous, with her arms shaking at her side. A chuckle reached her ears, and her eyes darted up. Ifrit was… smiling. His gaze was warm and kind as a clawed hand brushed through her hair.

'_Such honest emotion I never thought to see again… do not be afraid. I promise only to give you pleasure._'

Slowly, Ifrit leaned down, bright eyes growing brighter. Yuna felt her chest rising faster, breathing hard, as his fangs and his lips came closer to hers… then they touched, and he passed through her, into her, within her.

At that moment, her heart caught fire.

Her last coherent thoughts were his; she heard him laugh, a joyous laugh, inside her head, when they became one_. You truly are remarkable_, she heard him say, and thought for a moment to wonder why before all thought was washed away. Heat overtook her, a warm blaze like nothing she'd ever felt. From head to toe she tingled, buzzing with it, and her limbs shook and twitched as she was overwhelmed by it. Gasping for air, Yuna arched, scraping her nails against the barrier which held her.

Then, the fire died down, simmering quietly in her mind. Falling back, Yuna gasped heavily, chest heaving, and with a sad thought realized it must be over. For a moment she felt guilty for wanting more, when she began to feel that tingle again… and another laugh.

'_Oh no, little one. I am not done with you yet_.'

The heat began to rise again, more gently this time, centered on the apex of her thighs. The realization made Yuna flush, biting her lip, and then a soft moan escaped her as the heat intensified. It grew, and it grew, almost intolerably hot and pleasurable, until the girl couldn't help but lift her legs, pressing her thighs together, trying to do – do _something_. What she didn't know, she just knew she needed more.

The form of the spirit appeared again, this time, as only one creature: the Aeon. It still fluttered in and out of reality, not quite solid, but looked entirely as a beast. '_Fear not, Yuna_.' Ifrit muttered in her mind, voice as strong and powerful as ever. '_I shall give you what you need_.'

Clawed hands, rough and bestial, gently reached through her pleated skirts, to brush over her thighs. Yuna gave an embarrassed moan, gnawing on her lip, helpless but to watch as he pushed her legs apart. Half of her wanted to move away and hide in shame, but the rest of her wished only to remain and see what else would come of this, desperate for the resolution of the feelings building and burning within her.

Her skirts slid up, over her knees, then down her thighs, until the core of her was revealed, covered only by a slim white cloth. Ifrit did not move this, simply sliding into the gap created, until they were pressed snuggly together at the waist. Yuna had to gasp at the feeling, arching into it – the beast's furred waist burned hot against her skin, and more heat permeated the air around him as he knelt over her, one hand braced on the ground beside her head, the other cupping her clothed breast, kneading it gently. She gave a desperate moan at the gentle touch.

"This is – this is wrong!" Yuna managed to murmur between her heaving gasps for air.

'Would you like me to stop?'

Ifrit ceased all motion, hovering above her, and when Yuna lifted her eyes she saw in those monster's eyes his humanity reflecting back at her. If she asked, he would stop. Yuna bit her lip.

"N – No?"

A chuckle. '_Be certain, Yuna. Should I continue?_'

She… she should obey the precepts. She should complete her duty only, and continue on the journey. She had duties to perform yet. But she could not help but want desperately to forget for a while, to be selfish, and here Ifrit was offering her exactly that, and no one need ever know.

"Yes!" She insisted, pressing her breast up into his hand. He squeezed and her words became a garbled moan. "Ye –_esss_!"

An explosion of heat unlike any before it burst from the beast then, passing from him to her, through the apex of her thighs, and building there. It came in waves upon waves, unceasing, until the woman was almost crying from the intensity. Ifrit began to move, simply rubbing his torso up and down over her, his crotch pressing into hers, but the delicious friction had Yuna tossing her head back. The heat kept coming, rising through her, burning away all her thoughts, her fears, her pains…

The clawed hand on her breast dug in gently, sharp nails tickling the skin through the fabric, before he scraped them gently downward. Yuna moaned at that, and the beast laughed again, his hot breath tickling her neck as he leaned down.

'_Oh, Yuna… what a marvel you are_.' He murmured in her mind; and his presence there increased exponentially, as he became one with her, his hand passing through her breast and into her, his lower torso entering her. '_Perhaps you are the one… the one we have all been waiting for, for so long…_'

Then his long tongue ran along her neck, a steaming press of flesh against flesh, before he gently nipped at the skin beneath her ear. That sent all the fire bursting back outwards in a flare so bright Yuna blacked out.

When she came to, she was alone, physically at least. She could feel the connection to Ifrit inside her, a dim coal ready to be flamed to life the moment she called. He could feel her, too, as Valefor could, for once again she had broken the rules.

But this time, she had a harder time feeling guilty. The Aeon had asked her to, after all, and if the Aeon desired it… surely it could not be bad? And for a moment she found herself wondering why it was so forbidden, when surely it must strengthen the bond between Aeon and Summoner, and make them both stronger?

She didn't wonder on it for long. Yuna stood, trying to clean herself up as best she could before leaving the Chamber, unwilling to make her friends wait any longer.

* * *

><p>"Yuna!" The summoner spun round at the call, to face Wakka head on. "Try summoning that new aeon! Give it a shot at this thing!"<p>

She turned back to look at the beast, a large green creature with vine like whips. Nodding, she lifted her staff. "Stand back everyone!"

Fear and excitement made her heart pound as she began to reach inward. Finding the light this time was even easier than before; Ifrit burned bright like a star, shimmering in the darkness, and when she reached for him, he met her halfway by reaching out to her. The feeling was – astonishing.

Suddenly the ground beneath her quaked, and Yuna felt her legs fall out from under her just as the earth gave way. Flung upwards, her eyes went wide as she clung to her staff, but she needn't of worried; in the next instant she saw Ifrit appear among the stones, bursting from the earth below. He reached for her, just as he had within her soul, his arm cradling her as they both fell back to the earth.

'_Never fear, Summoner_,' Ifrit's voice rang out in her mind. '_You shall never come to harm with me_.'

The bond between them – she could feel it blazing in the air about them. It was so _strong_. Why in the world had Yevon ever forbidden this?

Grin widening, Yuna lifted her staff. With Ifrit beside her, she need not fear anything.


End file.
